Thursday, October 08, 2009

Bonaire Windsurfers Sweep First, Second, and Third in German World Freestyle Competition

It was Bonaire all the way at the recent PWA World Cup Sylt 2009 in Germany.  Braving wind, waves, cold, and rain, the Bonaire team placed First, Second, and Third in a sweep of the competition.

Tati Frans was in his element, as the wind picked up to 25 knots and heavy rain showers kicked up the beach in Westerland, as he triumphed in first place.

Kiri Thode, another home-grown Bonaire windsurfer, ended in second place, actually doing quite well considering that he had crashed a fin on the rocks before his heat.  Kiri, a master at flat-water freestyle, admitted that the onshore conditions were a bit extreme.

And Tonki Frans fought his way to a third place victory, completing the sweep for Team Bonaire.  The men were competing against about fifty other windsurfers in their category, while there were about 200 participants in total for the competition.  At the completion of this competition, world rankings show just how good Bonaire’s sailors are in freestyle:  Kiri Thode is ranked 2nd in the world, Tonki Frans is ranked 3rd in the world, and Tati Frans is ranked 6th in the world.  Congratulations to all, and a great job in representing Bonaire! (Source:  Extra Bonaire and Continent Seven)